How You Can Effectively Tackle The Initial Big Auto Repair Job Since you now realize how to change oil inside your car, you may decide to handle

a much bigger auto repair task. Oftentimes, car enthusiasts decide to have a DIY approach to car repair not just as being a hobby, but as a method to economize. If your car keeps wearing down and you will barely pay for the parts to solve it, there's no method for you to buy professional labor. Prior to tackle a large repair job, take a look at some of the expert advice below! Research First You can't take apart your vehicle and wish to put it back together again again in the event you don't know each of the parts. Unless there is a very rare vehicle, it is simple to get ahold of your aftermarket manual for your brand name. These manuals are incredibly useful when you are identifying the parts of your respective car and how they can be come up with. In addition to, there are simple to follow diagrams that may simplify the procedure. Aside from an actual manual, turn to Internet forums for help. Odds are, somewhere on the planet, someone has already asked the identical questions as you may. If you are stuck or you will have a specific problem you can't wrap your face around, post in the forums and inquire! Clear Workspace Area Taking care of an auto takes a lot more space than some individuals would estimate. You may think your garage has ample room, but you may well be in for a rude surprise as soon as you begin with the repair. It's better to clear lots of space and set up a workspace without additional clutter to create your career easier. Repair Takes Time It's essential to know that auto repair takes a great deal of time and perseverance. When the vehicle you want to repair can be your only ride to function, setup a carpool using a friend or find alternative transportation prior to taking your car from commission. Be prepared to make plenty of trips to your home improvement store and wait around for your vehicle parts in the future in, which may all take some time. Keep Organized It's very easy to take something apart, nevertheless it can become a nightmare to place it together again again. Once you have a large number of nuts, bolts, and washers you're removing out of your car, it might feel as if a hopeless task to consider the actual way it all goes together. Before you take your automobile apart, have a photograph of methods the various components look when properly installed. Once you've done that, label everything using a white pen while keeping them properly sorted either in plastic baggies or old egg cartons. You could have plenty of enthusiasm for auto repair, but be sure you seek information first, clear enough workspace, while keeping everything properly labeled. Many novice mechanics have also discovered that spending some time to produce a checklist will also help make a world of difference! In the event you stay organized and go in depth, you will be able to correctly repair the initial car.

My Bronco Seems To B Leaking From Almost Every Where Over Time It Adds But I Really Want To Fix It. ?
Live In The City Of Long Beach
The Truck I Have Is A 1990 Ford Bronco. 5.8Lt
Want To Get It Fixed, What Are The Name Of Some Places That Specialize In That??

Mileage? "Leaking from Everywhere??" Head Gasket, Valve Cover Gasket, Oil Pan Gasket, Etc. if high mileage and low compression it sounds more like a Rebuild Needed.

Is My Car Worth Repairing?
Long Story Short, Someone Crashed Into My Car. The Deductible On My Insurance Plan Is $1,000. The Other Drive Assumed Fault And Offered To Pay Damages, But Is Now Lying And Said She Never Said That. I'Ve Accepted That I'M Screwed And Will Be Forced To Pay My Deductible, Barring A Miracle.
I'M Fairly Certain My Driver'S Side Rear Door Will Need To Be Replaced. My Question For Any Expert Out There, Is Do You Think This Is Worth Paying The $1,000 For? My Car Is 2008 Pontiac Vibe With 57K Miles. It Is Blue Booked At Around 12-13K, Obviously Before It Had A Giant Dent In The Side. It Is Financed And I Have $4K Left On That Loan.
Is It Worth Getting The Repair If It Is Just Cosmetic Damage? I Really Hate To Drive A Busted Car, But I'M Just Having Trouble Deciding To Put $1,000 Into A Car Accident That Wasn'T My Fault. It Sucks. I'M Just Preparing For The Worst.

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Lots of issues and wrinkles.

Short answer: You need $4K to pay off the loan. Might be able to sell the car after you put in another $1000 for $12K, leaving you with $7K. With $12K, you can pay off the note and the $1000 on your credit card. Can you buy another good car for $7K? Maa-aaybe.

Realistic wrinkle: You got an accident report, right? That should show the other driver at fault. Take her to small claims court. You are $1000 out-of-pocket (plus any time lost from work, etc.) for her actions. You may want to put it to her one more time in writing (sent registered mail, return receipt) that she can pay you $1000. If she declines, you still have court as an option.

Sorry about the hassles, but driving is risky. Hope you find a solution to this. ... Good luck!!

How Can I Get A Smog Certificate Without Doing Another Smog Test?
I Just Bought A Car From A Private Owner And Totally Forgot About The Smog Certificate At The Time Of Purchase. I Called The Dmv And Checked Whether Or Not It Went Through A Smog Inspection And Passed (Using The Vin). The Dmv Representative Told Me That The Car Was Tested And Passed About 2 Weeks Ago And Said It Should Be Okay To Register It In My Name. However, When I Went In Person To The Dmv With The Title, They Said I Still Needed To Bring A Hard Copy Of The Smog Certificate (I Still Paid Registration Fees & Did That). I Called The Previous Owner And Left A Message, But They Haven'T Gotten Back To Me.
In Case The Owner Doesn'T Ever Pick Up, Is There A Way To Get A Hard Copy Without Actually Having It Go Through Another Test? I Know This Is All My Fault; I'M Just Trying To Fix This The Right Way. Keep In Mind That The Dmv Knows It Has Passed The Smog & Has It On Record Electronically. I Live In California, If That Helps.

In California the seller is REQUIRED to supply you with a Smog Certificate. It's NOT your problem. They need to provide you with one. The report is supposed to stay with the car. Ask nicely at first, but If they get belligerent threaten to sue to rescind the sale. If it gets to that point ask again, and I'll explain how & why.

A hard copy of the smog results are required as part of the change of ownership process. You know how government employees demand that you must "follow the rules".

How Many Miles Can A 1993 Toyota Camry Last?
My Dad Is Making Me Pay For My Own Car And So I'Ve Been Doing Some Research And Craigslist Shopping. A Car That Stood Out To Me Was This 1993 Toyota Camry; However, It Has 233,000 Miles On It Already. I'M Wondering How Much Longer That Thing Will Last If I Decide To Buy It. The Owner Replaced The Following Things This Year: Battery, Exhaust Head Pipe And Gaskets, Spark Plugs, Brake Pads (Lifetime Warranty), Oil Cooler Gasket And O-Ring, Both Front Axles And Torque Strut, Both Rear Struts (Lifetime Warranty) With Strut Mounts And Sway Link, Replaced Timing Belt, Water Pump With Gasket And Housing As Well As Tensioner Pulley And Idler Pulley, Convert Air Conditioning From R-12 To R-134A And Recharge, And Front Tires. They Are Asking For $1,300. Is That A Reasonable Price Or What? Help! I'M Just A Teenage Girl With No Knowledge Of Cars And I Need A Cheap And Reliable Car To Last Me These Next Couple Years Of High School! Thanks A Ton!

If it's a four cylinder Camry, buy it. Those are easily the best made Camrys (even better built than the new ones). 233,000 miles is a lot of miles but not for a 20 year old car. If you take care of it, you should be able to get 350,000 miles (or more) out of it. I've seen a couple with close to 500,000 miles on them. They are exceptional cars.

Failed Smog Test Miserably!!?
I Have A 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee And Today It Failed A Smog Test Miserably. The Check Engine Light Did Start Coming On Recently But It Doesn't Always. Here Are The Test Results...
@15 Mph (1532 Rpm)
Hc (Ppm)
Max:88
Meas:116
Co (%)
Max:0.64
Meas:0.65
No (Ppm)
Max:508
Meas:1458
@25 Mph (1503 Rpm)
Hc (Ppm)
Max:53
Meas:103
Co (%)
Max:0.77
Meas:0.57
No (Ppm)
Max:761
Meas:1211
Would It Help To Change The Catalytic Converter? Or Is It A Much Bigger Issue Than That?
Thanks For All Your Help.

If we're not mistaken your vehicle is NOT equipped with an EGR valve, and it's main failure appears to be NOx.

Some Specifics: At first glance of the emission numbers and the fact that the vehicle in question is a Non-EGR Equipped Jeep, our first assumption would be that the CAT (Catalytic Converter) is damaged, more then likely plugged. A vehicle's CAT usually becomes plugged after a material breakdown within it normally due high exhaust temperatures and rich fuel. After first inspecting the fuel and ignition systems, an intrusive CAT test and Back Pressure/Vacuum test may be perfromed. These tests will determine whether the CAT is plugged or not.

The important thing here is this... if in fact the CAT is damaged, it is important to insure a pre-existing problem is not the culprit. You don't want to damage the new CAT. A CAT melt down usually occurs due to high CO (Rich Fuel), old age, and extreme heat. It is recommend to suspect the CAT after a complete emissioms systems diagnostics has been completed.

NOx stands for Nitrous Oxide. NOx is a chemical created when an engine's combustion chamber temperatures rises above 2500 Fahrenheit. CO stands for Carbon Monoxide. CO is a by-product of incomplete combustion caused by either too much or not enough fuel being sent to the combustion chambers. Fuel distribution to your engine's combustion chambers is controlled by your vehicle's ECU(Engine Control Unit) and fuel injectors.

The Catalytic Converter, commonly referred to as the CAT is a component designed to continue the combustion process within itself and emit a more thoroughly burned and less harmful emission containing exhaust. It is normally placed between your engine's exhaust port and your car's muffler. It allows the engine exhaust to pass through while it reduces all emissions. A good CAT should dramatically reduce HC, CO and NOx. The CAT is a catalyst, it plays a very small part on how well your engine runs and it only begins working after exhaust has exited the engine's combustion chambers. Catalysts are not designed to last forever. From time to time they need replacement. How long your vehicle’s CAT will last depends on how completely your engine burns fuel before presenting it the to the CAT and also on the quality of the CAT. Factory CATs should normally last 5 to 10 years. Aftermarket CATs should work for at least half that (for the cost difference it is recommended using an aftermarket CAT). We see this failure more often in vehicles which have produced high emission numbers in more then one category.

The most accurate way to find out if your vehicle CAT is working efficiently is by using an exhaust gas analyzer. Unfortunately this tool is fairly expensive and not designed for home use. You must visit a local smog station and have the smog technician inspect the CAT via the shop’s gas analyzer.

Obvious symptoms of a bad CAT however could be any of the following:

a. loss of power over 15-25 mph (CAT is plugged up and restricting exhaust flow)

b. very strong exhaust smell on a vehicle that runs great(engine running efficiently, but CAT not completing the burning process)

NOTE: A common reason for NOx failures which DOES NOT apply to your vehicle, is a malfunctioning EGR valve and/or plugged up EGR ports and passages. EGR (valve) stands for exhaust gas recirculation. The EGR system normally includes the EGR valve, EGR control system and EGR ports/passages. This system recirculates burned up exhaust gases back into the combustion chambers. The fact that recycled exhaust gases have already been in the combustion chambers once and have already burned up 90 percent of their fuel means there is now much less raw fuel in the combustion chambers to ignite. This allows the engine to run cool and keeps NOx levels within limits. The EGR valve should normally be inspected to insure its proper operation. Carbon deposits often plug up the EGR passages and cause the valve to stick. In your vehicles case, there is no EGR valve and therefore nothing to inspect.

Vehicles without EGR valves have a tendency to develop CAT problems sooner then those which are equipped. Due to the fact there is no EGR valve to reduce NOx, this operation is performed by the CAT, and proper fuel management.

You may find more information or email a live technician at http://www.smogtips.com

How Much Would It Cost To Repair A Head Gasket?
I Have A 94 Toyota Camry 4 Cyl Thanks

if you are going to do the repair yourself then it will only cost the price of the parts needed. a head gasket set for the top end usually costs me about 85.00 for that model. however if you want it replaced by a professional it will be significantly higher in price. but if you choose the latter then by all means choose a dealership to do the work. you will have a much better warranty for the work performed than at a garage !